Servicing, maintenance and installation costs can be high and most people would rather not have them. However, cutting back on professional engineering services can be even costlier.
It is usual for machinery suppliers to install and commission new plant. With second-hand machines, many purchasers may try doing it themselves. Be careful, there are now so many health, safety and local bylaws that anything less than professional help could be be a liability.
Delivery
When taking delivery, make sure delivery dates are convenient and that access is available. Every installation team has a story about a two-metre wide machine going through 1.9 metre door. Many operators are unaware of the implications of machine loading and vibration. Consider the forces involved in any piece of rotating equipment. It is not just a question of having the correct foundations but also avoiding the the transmission of noise and vibration to other parts of the building.
This is particularly important if a machine is being installed in a commercial or residential building.
Ideas on servicing and maintenance fall into two categories: First, there is the Railtrack approach, ignore maintenance and add the financial savings to the bottom line. The result of this philosophy is that enormous amounts of money will be needed at a later date. If you subscribe to this theory of service and maintenance be sure you sell the business before the system collapses.
Planned maintenance, on the other hand, tries to avoid breakdowns by establishing strict routines.
Machinery is serviced on the prescribed date and parts are replaced according to the manufactures recommendations by qualified engineers. Peter Crane of Duvals says that machines have become so reliable that drycleaners can now concentrate on their business rather than spending time with a spanner and screwdriver.
“Routine servicing is vital as it is a safety check on equipment,” he says. “The drycleaning machine is a combination of machines, electrical, electronic, mechanical and refrigeration, all in one compact unit. Few machines in industry encompass such a variety of technologies.”
His service engineers leave their customers with comprehensive checklists showing the work that has been carried out.
With the advent of computers, servicing of automated plant is made more difficult and at the same time, easier. More difficult because it takes the maintenance out of the competence of most people. And easier, because the computer will monitor and record the health and performance of the machine. In many cases a computer program will predict and diagnose faults.
Computerised monitoring sounds impressive but it is just an update of what engineers have been doing for the past hundred years. Just by listening to a piece of equipment or feeling a rise in the temperature of a critical bearing, an experience engineer can see a problem coming.
The key to economical and effective maintenance is to have the services of a qualified engineer, one who will get to know your plant and who will be able to tell you what needs doing and when.
Boilers
Boiler plant has a special place in the maintenance schedule as it is governed by a number of laws and codes of practice. Corgi and ACOPS are essential and a whole list of other organisations need to be satisfied.
The Fulton Boiler company says that the annual service and inspection for boilers is mandatory but if the boiler is seeing heavy-duty an interim six months service is recommended.
Most manufacturers’ pressure vessel warranties are only valid if the boiler is serviced, maintained and operated in accordance with their recommendations.
With proper maintenance the steam boiler should last for many years. Even water quality, the most common cause of failure on steam boilers, should not be a problem.
It may be tempting for laundry and drycleaning plant owners to avoid the expense of maintenance and servicing contracts, relying on the ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ concept. They may be lucky and avoid disastrous downtimes. But it is a gamble.
Even if the reluctant maintainer avoids disaster and his aging plant continues in service for many years, it will be with a loss of efficiency and quality.
There will be a consistent loss in performance over the years that will have a culminative effect. In the long run, lack of maintenance will cost the operator money and reduce the quality of the work, threatening the company’s reputation.
Do-it-yourself
Even though the days of DIY maintenance are disappearing fast, operators should have a list of daily, weekly and monthly tasks to perform.
Boilers need to be blown down, water softners checked and lint and button traps inspected on a routine basis.
Simple, regular routines such as these will avoid serious breakdowns and maintain the quality of work.
